


Pre-Halloween Jitters

by obligatoryusername



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, F/F, Fluff without Plot, Gen, Halloween Costumes, Trans Rose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-13
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2018-03-07 09:38:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3170111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obligatoryusername/pseuds/obligatoryusername
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jade is throwing a Halloween party, and Rose is nervous about her costume. Very short and pure 100% fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pre-Halloween Jitters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [agenderfoxmulder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/agenderfoxmulder/gifts).



***

In the bathroom just off Kanaya's bedroom, Rose tugs at the hem of her skirt - a lacy, frilly, pink thing that shines with what must be hundreds of handsewn sequins. The gleaming, transluscent high heels make her feel terribly unsteady on her feet, and she very carefully turns to look at her reflection in the mirror.

Pink. So much pink. Purple, too. Soft pastel shades of pink and rich purple accented with white, from the lace hem of her skirt to the bodice hugging her ribs to the conical hat and veil atop her head. A princess costume. From the second Jade had announced the Halloween party she wanted to throw and Rose had commented that she wasn't sure what to dress as, Kanaya had kept her project top secret. Now, as Rose stands there looking at herself in the bright, flat light of the bathroom, she feels a pang of some kind of awkward strangeness.

"Rose?"

Rose opens the door just a crack and peers out. "Yes, Kanaya?"

"Rose," Kanaya repeats, "come let me see how it looks on you." When Rose hesitates, Kanaya continues, "If it requires any additional alterations, I must get started immediately. There is very little time before the party."

Still feeling awkward, Rose opens the door and carefully makes her way to where Kanaya is waiting.

"Oh!" Kanaya exclaims, and clasps her pale fingers to her mouth.

"Do I really look that ridiculous?" Rose asks wryly.

"Not at all," Kanaya replies quickly. "No, you look beautiful, Rose."

Rose smiles slightly and looks at herself in the full length mirror Kanaya has in her bedroom. Rose gingerly touches her shoulders and wonders if the dress makes them look too broad. As her gaze rakes over her own reflection like a fine-toothed comb, her small smile fades. Kanaya notices.

"You don't like it?" Kanaya asks, crestfallen.

That jerks Rose out of her daze. She whips around to face Kanaya, her eyes intense and brows furrowed.

"No! I mean yes. I mean... I love it, Kanaya," Rose says quickly, finding herself unusually tongue-tied.

"It is perfectly alright if you don't," Kanaya says, keeping her voice level.

"Kanaya," Rose says firmly, "you worked so hard on this. You're an incredible seamstress and the attention to detail is just remarkable. This dress is lovely."

"But there is a problem," Kanaya replies simply. A statement, not a question.

Rose shakes her head, but she knows it's impossible to hide anything from her girlfriend. Kanaya is just too perceptive, and Rose can't stand hurting her like this. She knows she has to be honest - a scary thing, even for a girl who communes with horrorterrors and has cheated death and fate too many times to count.

"Yes," Rose says softly. "I suppose there is. It's only that I... well, I wonder if it really... suits me."

Kanaya cocks her head and looks quizzically at Rose.

"It's so beautiful and well, I'm not, I'm afraid," Rose continues with a forced smile. "It's the most perfectly gorgeous thing I've ever seen; truly fit for a princess, and -"

Before she can say any more, Kanaya sweeps forward and grabs both of Rose's hands and grips them tightly. Rose looks curiously at Kanaya and finds a sort of fierceness permeating her expression. Kanaya has always been brave and protective of Rose, but there's something else there now.

"Rose," Kanaya says quietly, firmly. "Rose, that is not true and you know it."

Kanaya's gaze is so unrelenting and intense, Rose feels a blush creeping up her cheeks and looks away.

"You told me once before that you sometimes did not feel that you fit the human requirements for 'female,'", Kanaya continues softly. "And though I have learned quite a bit since meeting you, I still do not know much about humans. I cannot comment on what your human society thinks, nor your place in it. But..."

Kanaya's words trail off as she lets go of Rose's hands and gently rests one soft, cold hand on Rose's cheek.

"But Rose, please know that you are enough. Please know that you are the most beautiful human female I have ever met."

"Kanaya," Rose whispers, feeling hot tears welling up in her eyes, unable to believe how Kanaya knows the most perfectly romantic thing to say to her. There's a lot she could say, so many thoughts swirling around her head, but what comes out of her mouth is, "Kanaya, I'm the ONLY human female you've ever met."

"Well," Kanaya stammers, "yes, but-"

Rose laughs and pulls Kanaya toward her for a kiss.

***

The living room of the small apartment Rose and Kanaya share with Jade is filled to maximum capacity with the tackiest Halloween decorations Rose has ever seen. Every corner is clogged with spider webs and every inch of the molding is covered with black and orange tinsel and rubber bats on fishing wire. The armchair in the corner, Rose notes, is occupied by a particularly startled black cat plushie.

Rose makes her way to a bowl of candy guarded by the most obviously fake, least terrifying zombie she's ever seen. Animatronic and motion activated, she notes as she snatches a handful of M&Ms from under its screeching maw and swiping bony hands.

"Rose!"

Rose turns, mouth full of chocolate, to see Jade struggling to carry a giant pumpkin. She's dressed in a light green Squiddle costume, the big, floppy, doe-eyed head on top of her own head as a sort of hood. Jade carefully sets the pumpkin down next to the door and bounds over to Rose to give her a big hug and a peck on the cheek.

"You look beautiful!" Jade exclaims, backing off and holding Rose at arm's length to get a look at her costume.

Rose straightens the veil on her cone hat and smiles. "Your costume is quite nice as well."

Jade beams and poses as cutely and Squiddle-ly as possible. "Thanks! You really think so?"

"I just wonder why you chose a Squiddle instead of, say, a dog or perhaps a witch?" Rose asks.

"A dog or a witch - that's just me every day! That's not a costume," Jade says grumpily.

She dodges the zombie guard to grab some M&Ms and pops them in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully while looking at Rose.

"Hey, what is that princess-y hat called again?" she wonders idly.

"It's a," Rose begins, then stops. "It's, a, uh..."

"A hennin," Kanaya interjects from the doorway. "Is it not a commonly worn human item of clothing? I researched human royalty as much as I could, and I found many short, illustrated stories in which the princess wears something like this. Did I misunderstand?"

"No, not at all," Rose says quickly.

"It's definitely not common, though," Jade adds. "It's an old timey, stereotypical princess thing."

Kanaya steps out into the dim light of the Halloween-ified living room. Monster Mash plays softly in the background and the guard-zombie screeches impotently as Jade returns for another handful of M&Ms. Rose slips her hand into Kanaya's.

"Oh, Kanaya, your costume is great, too!" Jade says as she moves around to get a better look at her.

"I hope it is recognizable," Kanaya replies. "I found metal armor to be both unappealing and impossible to make in the time allotted, so I took some liberties with the design of the typical human knight."

Kanaya nervously straightens her leather pauldrons and bodice-like chest piece and arranges her studded battleskirt, underneath which is a pair of dark brown tights. A pair of clunky boots finishes off the outfit.

"It's perfect," Rose assures her, squeezing her hand. "I'm a princess, you know. A princess needs her knight."

***


End file.
